LMS vs LRS is a term often searched by people on the internet and it surprises me as these are the two software that complement each other. So there is no point in knowing which one is better instead in this article I will explain to you how these two software complement each other to help you improve delivering a better learning experience to your students or trainees. LMS vs LRS makes sense on a very small scale as there are very few LMS that provide integrated LRS.
What is LMS?
LMS is an acronym for Learning Management System and as its name suggests it is a software system or better say software platform that offers various tools to educators to manage course material, students, their queries, their assignments, etc.
Some of the features an LMS provides.
Course Management:
It offers an excellent tool that simplifies processes for creating managing and delivering course content.
Learner Management:
it helps manage your learners and provides tools to facilitate enrollment. It tracks learner’s activities in your course and provides reports.
Assessment Tools:
As an educator, it’s always a better idea to keep assessing learners to know what they have learned so far and, for that, you need tools to include assignment tests and quizzes in your course content. And a good LMS always comes with such tools.
Communication:
if you are starting your e-learning course you will have to support your learners when they are stuck in some chapter and this is where features like messaging and forums come in handy. An LMS takes care of that.
Certification and Compliance:
An LMS helps in tracking the completion of regulatory requirements
Some of the popular LMSs are
On the internet, there are two kinds of LMSs one that provides LMS Software as a service and another that provides there plugin for WordPress. Here are a few examples of both types of LMSs.
SaaS LMSs
- Moodle
- Canvas
- Blackboard Learn
- Schoology
WordPress LMS?
- LearnDash LMS
- LifterLMS
- Tutor LMS
- Sensei LMS
- LearnPress LMS
What is LRS?
LRS is an acronym for Learning Record Store. It is software that allows storing learning experience data in the form of statements written using JSON LD. It is a part of the xAPI ecosystem which helps educators collect learning experience data from a wide range of learning activities, both online and offline.
Some of the features an LRS provides.
Storage:
An LRS helps in storing learning data written in the form of an xAPI statement.
Interoperability:
As LRS is part of xAPI ecosystem and stores data in an xAPI standard it allows interoperability with a variety of different software like Authoring tools, LMS, and other LRSs.
Analytics:
Most of the LRSs offer tools to analyze stored data, and many of them help you generate reports for required filters.
Integration:
LRSs like Grassblade LRS provide integrations with a wide range of LMSs.
Earlier you got to know that LMSs provide tools for Course Content management and delivery, learner Management, quizzes, forums, etc similarly LRSs take care of tracking and analyzing learners’ experiences. By using an LRS you get a comprehensive view of your learner’s journey in your course.
Some of the famous LRS software are
- GrassBlade LRS
- Learning Locker
- Watershed LRS
- Yet Analytics
- Veracity LRS
Combination of LMS and LRS
Combining LRS with an LMS would bring magic to your e-learning pipeline. You will add advanced learning analytics to your armory as it will help you understand learner performance and behavior deeply. So, this combination of LMS and LRS will significantly enhance the learning experience and it can leverage the strengths of both systems.
Conclusion
I hope that you have figured out that LMS and LRS have different functionalities and together they enhance the analysis which results in an enhanced learning experience. So there is no reason for them to compete hence there is no need for a term like “LMS vs LRS” except few cases where LMS themself provides inbuilt LRS.